Exodus

Part One: Introduction to Exodus

The Name

"Exodus" comes from the Greek Septuagint title meaning "going out" or "departure," taken from 19:1 and the theme of the book. The Hebrew title is Ve'eleh Shemoth, "And these are the names," from its opening words. The opening "And" ties Exodus directly to Genesis: the seventy souls who went down to Egypt (Genesis 46:27) have become a nation. Exodus is the book of redemption. Genesis shows man ruined by sin; Exodus shows God redeeming a people by blood and by power, and then coming to live among them.

Author

Moses wrote Exodus. The book itself says so: "And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD" (24:4); "Write this for a memorial in a book" (17:14); "Write thou these words" (34:27). Jesus quoted Exodus 3:6 as "the book of Moses" (Mark 12:26) and spoke of what "Moses gave you" in the law (John 7:19). Moses was an eyewitness of every event from chapter 2 onward, trained in Egypt's royal court (Acts 7:22), and familiar with Egyptian life, which shows throughout the book.

Date and Historical Setting

The Bible dates the Exodus precisely. 1 Kings 6:1 says Solomon began the temple "in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt," in the fourth year of his reign (about 966 BC). That places the Exodus around 1446 BC, during Egypt's powerful 18th Dynasty. Jephthah's statement that Israel had been in the land 300 years by his day (Judges 11:26) fits this early date. The Merneptah Stele (c. 1208 BC), an Egyptian inscription, already names "Israel" as a people in Canaan.

• The sojourn. "The sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years" (12:40-41; compare Genesis 15:13; Galatians 3:17).
• The numbers. About 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children (12:37), suggesting a total of around two million people, plus "a mixed multitude" (12:38).
• The span of the book. From Joseph's death (about 1805 BC) and the rise of oppression, through Moses' 80 years, to the setting up of the tabernacle on the first day of the second year after the Exodus (40:17). Chapters 19-40 cover less than one year at Mount Sinai.

Purpose and Theme

Exodus answers three questions: How does God save? (By the blood of the lamb and the power of His arm, chapters 1-18.) How should a redeemed people live? (By His law, chapters 19-24.) How can a holy God live among sinful people? (In the tabernacle, by sacrifice and priesthood, chapters 25-40.) The book moves from slavery to Pharaoh to service of God, and from God's glory unseen to God's glory filling the tabernacle (40:34).

And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

Exodus 25:8

Outline of Exodus

Part Two: Chapter-by-Chapter Analysis

Section I: Bondage and the Deliverer (Chapters 1-4)

Chapter 1 — Israel Oppressed

Jacob's family of seventy "were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them" (1:7), fulfilling God's promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:5; 46:3). "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph" (1:8). Fearing their numbers, Pharaoh enslaved them with hard labour building the store cities Pithom and Raamses (1:11), "But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied" (1:12). When slavery failed, he ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill the baby boys. Shiphrah and Puah "feared God" and refused (1:17), and God blessed them (1:20-21). Pharaoh then commanded all Egypt to throw every Hebrew son into the river (1:22). This is Satan's war against the Seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15): an attempt to destroy the nation through which Messiah would come, repeated later by Haman (Esther 3) and Herod (Matthew 2:16).

Chapter 2 — The Birth and Flight of Moses

A Levite couple, Amram and Jochebed (6:20), hid their "goodly child" three months (2:2). Hebrews 11:23 says this was "by faith... and they were not afraid of the king's commandment." She placed him in an ark of bulrushes daubed with pitch on the Nile (2:3). The word for "ark" (tebah) is used only here and of Noah's ark: in both, God saves through judgment-waters. Pharaoh's daughter found him, his own mother was hired to nurse him, and he was named Moses, "Because I drew him out of the water" (2:10). God turned Pharaoh's own house into the deliverer's training ground.

At forty (Acts 7:23), Moses chose his people: "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt" (Hebrews 11:24-26). He killed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew (2:12), but when he tried to make peace between two Hebrews, they rejected him: "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?" (2:14). Stephen comments: "he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not" (Acts 7:25). Moses fled to Midian, rested by a well (as Jacob had), married Zipporah, the daughter of the priest Reuel (Jethro), and named his son Gershom, "a stranger" (2:15-22). The chapter ends with God's response to Israel's cry:

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

Exodus 2:24

Chapter 3 — The Burning Bush and the Name of God

After forty years in the wilderness as a shepherd (Acts 7:30), Moses saw a bush that burned with fire and was not consumed (3:2). "The angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire," and from the bush God spoke (3:2-4). The Angel of the LORD is God Himself, the pre-incarnate Son. "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" (3:5). God identified Himself: "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (3:6). Jesus used this verse to prove the resurrection: God "is not the God of the dead, but of the living" (Matthew 22:32).

God had seen, heard and known His people's sorrows, and had "come down to deliver them" (3:7-8). When Moses asked His name, God answered:

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Exodus 3:14

This name reveals God as self-existent, eternal, unchanging and dependent on nothing. From the same Hebrew verb comes the covenant name YHWH (Jehovah, "the LORD," 3:15). Jesus claimed this name: "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58), and the Jews took up stones to stone Him for blasphemy, understanding exactly what He meant. His seven "I am" sayings in John build on this verse. God promised that Pharaoh would not let them go "but by a mighty hand" (3:19), and that Israel would not go out empty (3:21-22), fulfilling Genesis 15:14.

Chapter 4 — Moses' Excuses and God's Signs

Moses raised objections: Who am I? (3:11). What is Your name? (3:13). They will not believe me (4:1). I am not eloquent (4:10). Send someone else (4:13). God gave three signs: the rod becoming a serpent, the leprous hand, and water turned to blood (4:2-9). To the excuse about his speech, God replied, "Who hath made man's mouth?... have not I the LORD?" (4:11). God's anger was kindled at the final refusal, but He appointed Aaron as spokesman (4:14-16). God told Pharaoh through Moses, "Israel is my son, even my firstborn... Let my son go... if thou refuse... I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn" (4:22-23). Hosea 11:1 builds on this ("I... called my son out of Egypt"), and Matthew 2:15 applies it to Jesus, the true Son. On the journey, God sought to kill Moses because his son was uncircumcised; Zipporah circumcised the boy (4:24-26). The leader must obey the covenant before he leads others. The elders believed and worshipped (4:31).

Section II: The Confrontation with Pharaoh (Chapters 5-11)

Chapter 5 — "Who Is the LORD?"

Moses and Aaron asked Pharaoh to let Israel go to hold a feast in the wilderness. Pharaoh's answer sets the theme of the plagues:

Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

Exodus 5:2

By the end of the plagues, Pharaoh and all Egypt would know exactly who the LORD is (7:5; 14:4, 18). Pharaoh increased the burden: straw was no longer supplied, but the quota of bricks stayed the same (5:7-8). The Israelite officers blamed Moses (5:21), and Moses complained to God (5:22-23). Things often get worse before deliverance comes.

Chapter 6 — The Seven "I Will"s of Redemption

God answered Moses by revealing Himself as Jehovah, the covenant-keeping God, known in a fuller way than the patriarchs knew Him (6:2-3). He made seven great promises (6:6-8):

• "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians"
• "I will rid you out of their bondage"
• "I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments"
• "I will take you to me for a people"
• "I will be to you a God"
• "I will bring you in unto the land"
• "I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD"

This is a picture of full salvation: deliverance, freedom, redemption, adoption, relationship, guidance and inheritance (compare Ephesians 1:3-14). The people would not listen "for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage" (6:9). A genealogy shows Moses and Aaron descending from Levi through Kohath and Amram (6:14-27), the fourth generation promised in Genesis 15:16.

Chapter 7 — The First Plague: Water to Blood

God said, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders" (7:3), so "the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD" (7:5). Moses was 80 and Aaron 83 (7:7). Aaron's rod became a serpent and swallowed the magicians' rods (7:10-12). Paul names the magicians as Jannes and Jambres (2 Timothy 3:8). The Nile, Egypt's source of life and worshipped as a god, was turned to blood, and the fish died (7:17-21). The magicians copied it, and Pharaoh's heart was hardened (7:22). Revelation's second trumpet and second and third bowls turn the sea and rivers to blood (Revelation 8:8; 16:3-4). Contrast Jesus' first miracle, turning water into wine (John 2:1-11): law brings death, grace brings joy (2 Corinthians 3:6).

Chapter 8 — Plagues Two to Four: Frogs, Lice, Flies

Frogs covered the land (8:1-15); the magicians copied this too. Pharaoh asked Moses to pray, but when there was respite, he hardened his heart (8:15). Lice (or gnats) came from the dust (8:16-19), and the magicians failed: "This is the finger of God" (8:19). Jesus later said, "if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you" (Luke 11:20). Flies swarmed (8:20-32), but from this plague on, God "put a division between my people and thy people" (8:22-23): Goshen was spared. Pharaoh offered compromises: sacrifice "in the land" (8:25), or go "not very far away" (8:28). Satan's strategy is to keep God's people close to Egypt.

Chapter 9 — Plagues Five to Seven: Murrain, Boils, Hail

Murrain (cattle disease) killed Egypt's livestock but not Israel's (9:1-7). Boils broke out on man and beast; the magicians could not even stand before Moses (9:8-12). This is the first time Scripture says "the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh" (9:12), after Pharaoh had repeatedly hardened his own heart. God then declared His purpose:

And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

Exodus 9:16

Paul quotes this in Romans 9:17 on God's sovereignty. Hail mixed with fire destroyed crops and anything left in the fields (9:13-35). Some of Pharaoh's servants "feared the word of the LORD" and brought their servants and cattle inside (9:20): even in Egypt, faith saved those who believed. Pharaoh confessed, "I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous" (9:27), but hardened his heart again once the hail stopped (9:34).

Chapter 10 — Plagues Eight and Nine: Locusts and Darkness

God's purpose: "that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt... that ye may know how that I am the LORD" (10:2). Pharaoh offered to let only the men go (10:11). Locusts covered the earth and ate everything the hail had left (10:12-15; compare Joel 1-2; Revelation 9:3). Darkness that could be felt covered Egypt for three days, "but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings" (10:21-23; compare Revelation 16:10). This struck at Ra, the sun god, the chief god of Egypt. Pharaoh's last compromise: go, but leave your flocks (10:24). Moses answered, "there shall not an hoof be left behind" (10:26). Pharaoh threatened Moses with death if he saw his face again, and Moses agreed: "I will see thy face again no more" (10:28-29).

Chapter 11 — The Final Plague Announced

God announced one more plague: the death of every firstborn in Egypt, "from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant" and of beasts (11:4-5). There would be a great cry such as never was (11:6), "But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel" (11:7). Moses left Pharaoh "in a great anger" (11:8).

The Ten Plagues: A Summary

God declared, "against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD" (12:12; Numbers 33:4). Each plague humiliated Egypt's gods and showed the LORD's power over creation.

The hardening of Pharaoh's heart. The text describes it three ways: Pharaoh hardened his own heart (8:15, 32; 9:34), his heart "was hardened" (7:13, 22; 8:19), and the LORD hardened it (9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:8). God announced it in advance (4:21; 7:3), and He confirmed Pharaoh in the stubbornness Pharaoh chose. Paul uses Pharaoh to teach that God is sovereign in mercy and in judgment: "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth" (Romans 9:17-18). Pharaoh was fully responsible; God was fully sovereign. Hebrews 3:7-8 warns believers: "To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts."

Section III: The Passover and the Exodus (Chapters 12-15)

Chapter 12 — The Passover

The month of deliverance became "the beginning of months" (12:2): redemption is a new beginning (2 Corinthians 5:17). Each household was to take a lamb on the tenth day, "without blemish, a male of the first year" (12:5), keep it until the fourteenth day, kill it at evening, and put its blood on the two side posts and the upper door post (12:6-7). They were to eat it roasted with fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, dressed and ready to leave (12:8-11).

And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12:13

Note that God said "when I see the blood," not "when I see your good works." Safety depended not on how the people felt inside the house but on the blood outside it. The Feast of Unleavened Bread followed for seven days, with all leaven removed (12:15-20); leaven pictures sin (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). The Passover was to be kept forever as a memorial, explained to the children (12:24-27).

At midnight the LORD struck every firstborn in Egypt, "and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead" (12:29-30). Pharaoh finally said, "Rise up... go, serve the LORD" (12:31-32). The Egyptians gave Israel silver, gold and clothing (12:35-36), and Israel left with "a mixed multitude" after exactly 430 years, "even the selfsame day" (12:38-41). The rules for the Passover required that strangers be circumcised to eat it, and "neither shall ye break a bone thereof" (12:43-49). John 19:36 cites this when Jesus' legs were not broken on the cross: "A bone of him shall not be broken."

Chapter 13 — The Firstborn Sanctified; the Pillar of Cloud

Because God spared Israel's firstborn, every firstborn belonged to Him and had to be redeemed (13:1-2, 11-16). Jesus was presented in the temple under this law (Luke 2:22-23). Israel was to remember the day "with a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place" (13:3). God led them by the way of the wilderness rather than the short route through Philistine land, "Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war" (13:17). Moses carried Joseph's bones, fulfilling Genesis 50:25 (13:19). God led them visibly:

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light

Exodus 13:21

Chapter 14 — The Crossing of the Red Sea

God deliberately led Israel to camp by the sea, so Pharaoh would think them trapped and pursue them (14:1-4). Pharaoh's 600 chosen chariots came after them (14:7). The people panicked and turned on Moses: "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?" (14:11). Moses answered:

Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day... The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Exodus 14:13-14

The Angel of God and the pillar of cloud moved behind Israel, giving darkness to the Egyptians and light to Israel (14:19-20). Moses stretched out his hand, a strong east wind blew all night, and the waters were divided; Israel went through "upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left" (14:21-22). When the Egyptians followed, God troubled their army and took off their chariot wheels, and the sea returned and covered them; not one remained (14:23-28). "Thus the LORD saved Israel that day" (14:30). "And the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses" (14:31).

Paul says Israel "were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea" (1 Corinthians 10:1-2): the crossing pictures the believer's identification with Christ in death to the old life and resurrection to the new (Romans 6:3-4). Hebrews 11:29 says they passed through "by faith." The Red Sea became the Old Testament's great model of salvation, recalled throughout the Psalms and prophets (Psalm 106:9-11; 136:13-15; Isaiah 51:10; 63:11-13).

Chapter 15 — The Song of Moses and the Bitter Waters of Marah

The first recorded song in the Bible celebrates redemption:

The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 15:2

"The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name" (15:3). "Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" (15:11). The song looks back to the sea and forward to the conquest of Canaan and the sanctuary (15:13-17), ending "The LORD shall reign for ever and ever" (15:18). Miriam led the women with timbrels (15:20-21). In Revelation, the victors over the beast stand on a sea of glass and sing "the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb" (Revelation 15:2-4).

Three days later, the water at Marah was bitter, and the people murmured (15:22-24). God showed Moses a tree; when cast into the waters, they were made sweet (15:25). Many see the cross here, which turns life's bitterness to sweetness. God revealed Himself as Jehovah-rapha: "I am the LORD that healeth thee" (15:26). Then He led them to Elim, with twelve wells and seventy palm trees (15:27).

Section IV: The Wilderness Journey (Chapters 16-18)

Chapter 16 — Manna from Heaven

A month after leaving Egypt, the whole congregation murmured for food: "Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots" (16:3). God answered grace with grace: "I will rain bread from heaven for you" (16:4). Quail came in the evening, and in the morning a small round thing lay on the ground. The people said "It is manna" ("What is it?"), for they did not know what it was (16:13-15). Each gathered an omer per person; "he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack" (16:18; quoted by Paul on generosity in 2 Corinthians 8:15). Manna kept overnight bred worms, except on the Sabbath, when a double portion was given on the sixth day (16:19-30). This is the first mention of the Sabbath as a command to Israel, before Sinai. A pot of manna was kept "before the Testimony" for future generations (16:32-34; Hebrews 9:4). The manna fell for forty years until they reached Canaan (16:35; Joshua 5:12).

Jesus applied the manna to Himself: "Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven... I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger" (John 6:32-35). Like manna, Christ came down from heaven, was freely given, must be received personally, sustains daily, and is sufficient for all. Revelation 2:17 promises "the hidden manna" to the overcomer. Deuteronomy 8:3 explains the lesson: "man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD," the verse Jesus used against Satan (Matthew 4:4).

Chapter 17 — Water from the Rock; Victory over Amalek

At Rephidim there was no water, and the people "chode" (strove) with Moses and tempted the LORD: "Is the LORD among us, or not?" (17:2, 7). God said, "I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it" (17:6). The place was named Massah ("temptation") and Meribah ("strife") (17:7; Psalm 95:8; Hebrews 3:8).

And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:4

The rock was struck once, and life-giving water flowed for all, as Christ was smitten once on the cross and the Spirit flows to all who believe (John 7:37-39). Later, Moses was told to speak to the rock but struck it twice, and was barred from Canaan (Numbers 20:8-12), because Christ is to be smitten only once (Hebrews 9:28).

Amalek attacked Israel (17:8), striking the weak and weary at the rear (Deuteronomy 25:17-18). Joshua fought below while Moses held up the rod of God on the hill. When his hands were raised Israel prevailed; when they fell Amalek prevailed. Aaron and Hur held up his hands until sunset (17:10-13): a picture of intercessory prayer and of supporting God's leaders. This is the first mention of Joshua. God promised to "utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek" (17:14), and Moses built an altar called Jehovah-nissi, "The LORD is my banner" (17:15). Amalek reappears in Saul's disobedience (1 Samuel 15) and in Haman the Agagite (Esther 3:1).

Chapter 18 — Jethro's Counsel

Jethro brought Zipporah and Moses' two sons to Moses at the mount of God (18:1-6). Hearing all God had done, Jethro rejoiced and said, "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods" (18:11), and offered sacrifices. Watching Moses judge the people from morning to evening, Jethro said, "The thing that thou doest is not good... thou art not able to perform it thyself alone" (18:17-18). He advised Moses to teach the people God's laws and appoint "able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness" as rulers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens (18:21). Moses took the advice. This is a principle of delegated leadership, echoed in the appointment of the seven in Acts 6:1-6 and the qualifications for elders (1 Timothy 3).

Section V: The Covenant at Sinai (Chapters 19-24)

Chapter 19 — The Covenant Offered

In the third month Israel camped before Mount Sinai (19:1-2), where they stayed for about a year. God spoke from the mountain:

Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.

Exodus 19:4-6

Notice the order: God first redeemed them (grace), then gave the law. The law was never the way to become God's people; it was the way for the redeemed to live as God's people. Peter applies this calling to the church: "ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people" (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6). The people answered, "All that the LORD hath spoken we will do" (19:8), a confident promise they would break within weeks. They were to sanctify themselves, wash their clothes, and keep away from the mountain on pain of death (19:10-15). On the third day there were thunders, lightnings, a thick cloud, a very loud trumpet, fire and smoke, and the whole mountain quaked (19:16-19). Hebrews 12:18-24 contrasts this terrifying mount with "mount Sion... and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant."

Chapter 20 — The Ten Commandments

I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Exodus 20:2-3

God spoke the Ten Commandments audibly to the whole nation (20:1; Deuteronomy 5:22) and later wrote them on stone with His own finger (31:18). The first four concern love to God; the last six concern love to neighbour (Matthew 22:37-40). See Part Five for each commandment and its New Testament treatment. The people, terrified, begged Moses to speak instead: "let not God speak with us, lest we die" (20:19). Moses said God came "to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not" (20:20). The chapter closes with instructions for a simple altar of earth or uncut stone, without steps (20:24-26): man must not add his own work to God's way of approach.

The purpose of the law. The law reveals God's holy character, defines sin ("by the law is the knowledge of sin," Romans 3:20; 7:7), restrains evil, and acts as a "schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24). It was never given as a means of salvation: "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified" (Romans 3:20). It "was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come" (Galatians 3:19).

Chapters 21-23 — The Book of the Covenant

These chapters apply the Ten Commandments to daily life in Israel: laws on servants, violence, property, restitution, justice, the poor, the stranger, and the sabbatical year.

• The Hebrew servant (21:1-6). A Hebrew servant went free in the seventh year. If he said, "I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free," his ear was bored with an awl at the door, and he served for ever. Psalm 40:6-8 ("mine ears hast thou opened") is applied to Christ in Hebrews 10:5-7: Christ became the willing Servant out of love (Philippians 2:7).
• Capital crimes (21:12-17). Murder, kidnapping and cursing parents. Jesus quoted 21:17 against the Pharisees' traditions (Matthew 15:4).
• "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth" (21:23-25). This "law of retaliation" limited punishment to fit the crime in the courts. Jesus forbade using it as a principle of personal revenge (Matthew 5:38-39).
• Justice for the vulnerable (22:21-27; 23:6-9). God defends the stranger, widow and fatherless: "for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt" (22:21).
• "Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people" (22:28). Paul quoted this when he unknowingly rebuked the high priest (Acts 23:5).
• The three annual feasts (23:14-17). Unleavened Bread, Harvest (Pentecost) and Ingathering (Tabernacles). See Leviticus 23 for the full calendar.
• "Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk" (23:19).
• The Angel of God's presence (23:20-23). "Behold, I send an Angel before thee... obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him." An Angel who forgives sins and bears God's name is God Himself: the pre-incarnate Christ.

Chapter 24 — The Covenant Ratified with Blood

Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, built an altar with twelve pillars, offered sacrifices, and read the book of the covenant. The people said, "All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient" (24:7). Moses sprinkled half the blood on the altar and half on the people:

Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.

Exodus 24:8

At the Last Supper Jesus said, "this is my blood of the new testament [covenant], which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 9:18-22). Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders "saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone" (24:10), and they ate and drank before Him (24:11). Moses went up into the cloud for forty days and forty nights (24:18).

Section VI: The Tabernacle Instructions (Chapters 25-31)

Chapter 25 — The Offering, the Ark, the Table and the Candlestick

God asked for a freewill offering "of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart" (25:2) and gave the purpose:

And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle

Exodus 25:8-9

Everything was to be made exactly "after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount" (25:40; Hebrews 8:5), because the earthly tabernacle was a copy of heavenly realities (Hebrews 9:23-24). God began with the furniture of the Holy of Holies and worked outward, as God comes to man.

• The ark of the covenant (25:10-22). A chest of acacia (shittim) wood overlaid with gold, holding the tablets of the law (and later the manna and Aaron's rod, Hebrews 9:4). Acacia wood and gold picture Christ's humanity and deity in one Person.
• The mercy seat (25:17-22). A solid gold lid with two cherubim facing it. "There I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat" (25:22). On the Day of Atonement, blood was sprinkled on it, covering the broken law beneath (Leviticus 16:14). Romans 3:25 uses the same Greek word (hilasterion) for Christ: "whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation." Christ is our mercy seat, where God meets sinners on the basis of blood.
• The table of shewbread (25:23-30). Twelve loaves always before God (Leviticus 24:5-9): Christ the bread of life, and God's people kept in His presence.
• The golden candlestick (lampstand) (25:31-40). Beaten from one talent of pure gold, with seven lamps, the only light in the Holy Place: Christ the light of the world (John 8:12), and the churches as lampstands (Revelation 1:20).

Chapter 26 — The Tabernacle Structure and the Veil

The tent had ten inner curtains of fine linen with cherubim, covered by goats' hair, rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins (26:1-14). Outwardly plain, inwardly glorious: like Christ, who had "no form nor comeliness" outwardly (Isaiah 53:2) but whose inner glory was seen by faith (John 1:14). Boards of acacia overlaid with gold stood in sockets of silver (26:15-30); the silver came from the redemption money (38:25-27), so the dwelling of God rested on redemption. A veil of blue, purple, scarlet and fine linen, embroidered with cherubim, separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy (26:31-33).

By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh

Hebrews 10:20

When Christ died, "the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom" (Matthew 27:51): torn by God, from above, opening the way into His presence for all believers (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Chapter 27 — The Brazen Altar and the Court

The altar of burnt offering, of acacia overlaid with brass (bronze), stood at the entrance (27:1-8). Brass in Scripture often pictures judgment. No one could approach God except past the altar: the cross comes first. The court was surrounded by white linen hangings (27:9-19), a picture of the righteousness that separates God's dwelling from the world, with one gate on the east side (27:16). There was only one way in, as Christ is the one way (John 10:9; 14:6). Pure olive oil kept the lamp burning continually (27:20-21).

Chapter 28 — The Priestly Garments

Aaron and his sons were set apart as priests, with "holy garments... for glory and for beauty" (28:2). The high priest wore the ephod, with two onyx stones on the shoulders engraved with the names of the twelve tribes (28:9-12), and the breastplate with twelve precious stones, each engraved with a tribe's name, "upon his heart" (28:15-29). Our High Priest carries His people both on His shoulders (strength) and on His heart (love) before God (Hebrews 7:25). The Urim and Thummim, kept in the breastplate, were used to discern God's will (28:30). The robe had golden bells and pomegranates on the hem (28:33-35). On the mitre was a gold plate: "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" (28:36-38). The high priest bore "the iniquity of the holy things": even Israel's worship needed atonement.

Chapter 29 — The Consecration of the Priests

Aaron and his sons were washed with water (29:4), clothed (29:5-9), and anointed with oil (29:7). A bull was offered as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering (29:10-18). The blood of the ram of consecration was put on the right ear, right thumb and right big toe (29:20): ears to hear God's Word, hands to do His work, feet to walk His way, all covered by blood. The daily burnt offering, a lamb morning and evening, was to continue forever (29:38-42). God's purpose: "I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God" (29:45).

Chapter 30 — The Altar of Incense, Ransom Money, Laver and Holy Oil

• The golden altar of incense (30:1-10) stood before the veil, with incense burned morning and evening. Incense pictures prayer (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4) and the intercession of Christ (Hebrews 7:25).
• The ransom money (30:11-16). Every man counted in the census paid half a shekel, "a ransom for his soul... The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less" (30:12, 15). All souls are of equal value and need the same redemption (1 Peter 1:18-19). Jesus paid the temple tax with a coin from a fish's mouth "for me and thee" (Matthew 17:24-27).
• The brass laver (30:17-21). Priests washed hands and feet before serving. Compare Jesus washing the disciples' feet: daily cleansing for those already washed (John 13:10; 1 John 1:9; Ephesians 5:26).
• The holy anointing oil and incense (30:22-38). Never to be copied for common use. Oil pictures the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20, 27).

Chapter 31 — Bezaleel and the Sabbath Sign

God filled Bezaleel "with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship" (31:3), the first person in Scripture said to be filled with the Spirit, equipped for practical service. Aholiab was appointed with him (31:6). The Sabbath was given as "a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever" (31:13-17): "that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you" (Jehovah-mekaddishkem). God gave Moses two tables of testimony, "written with the finger of God" (31:18).

Section VII: Rebellion and Restoration (Chapters 32-34)

Chapter 32 — The Golden Calf

While Moses was on the mountain, the people demanded gods to go before them. Aaron collected their gold earrings and made a molten calf, and they said, "These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt" (32:4). Aaron proclaimed "a feast to the LORD," and the people "sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play" (32:5-6; quoted in 1 Corinthians 10:7). This was idolatry mixed with the LORD's name: worshipping the true God through an image, breaking the second commandment within weeks of hearing it.

God told Moses He would consume them and make a nation of Moses instead (32:10). Moses interceded, appealing to God's reputation among the Egyptians and His oath to Abraham, Isaac and Israel, "And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people" (32:11-14). Coming down, Moses broke the tablets at the foot of the mountain (32:19), burned the calf, ground it to powder, and made Israel drink it (32:20). Aaron's excuse is famous: "I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf" (32:24). Moses called, "Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me" (32:26), and the Levites killed about three thousand men (32:28). Contrast Pentecost, when the Spirit was given and about three thousand were saved (Acts 2:41): "the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life" (2 Corinthians 3:6).

Moses then offered himself: "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written" (32:32). Paul expressed similar love for Israel (Romans 9:3). Moses could not be their substitute, but Christ could and did (Galatians 3:13). Jeroboam later repeated Aaron's sin with almost the same words (1 Kings 12:28).

Chapter 33 — God's Presence and Glory

God said He would send an angel before them but would not go in their midst, "lest I consume thee in the way" (33:3). The people mourned and stripped off their ornaments (33:4-6). Moses pitched a tent outside the camp, where "the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (33:11). Joshua "departed not out of the tabernacle" (33:11). Moses pleaded for God's presence, and God answered:

My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

Exodus 33:14

Moses said, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence" (33:15). Then he asked, "I beseech thee, shew me thy glory" (33:18). God said He would make His goodness pass before him and proclaim His name, "and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy" (33:19; Romans 9:15). "Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live" (33:20). God put Moses in a cleft of the rock, covered him with His hand, and let him see His back (33:21-23). John 1:18 says, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son... he hath declared him." In Christ, believers see "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Chapter 34 — The Covenant Renewed and the Name Proclaimed

Moses hewed two new tablets, and God came down and proclaimed His name:

The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty

Exodus 34:6-7

This self-revelation is quoted or echoed throughout the Old Testament (Numbers 14:18; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15; 103:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2). Mercy and justice meet in it; they are fully reconciled only at the cross, where God is "just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). God renewed the covenant, warned against covenants with Canaan's inhabitants, and declared His name "Jealous" (34:14). Moses was again on the mountain forty days and nights without bread or water (34:28; compare Jesus' forty days, Matthew 4:2). When he came down, "the skin of his face shone" (34:29), and he put a veil on his face (34:33-35). Paul explains that the veil hid the fading glory of the old covenant, and that a veil remains on Israel's heart when Moses is read, "Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away... But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image" (2 Corinthians 3:7-18).

Section VIII: The Tabernacle Built and Filled (Chapters 35-40)

Chapters 35-36 — The Willing Offering

Moses repeated the Sabbath command (35:1-3) and called for an offering from "whosoever is of a willing heart" (35:5). The people came, "every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing" (35:21), men and women alike. They gave so much that Moses had to command them to stop: "the people bring much more than enough for the service of the work" (36:5-7). This is a model of Spirit-moved giving (2 Corinthians 9:7). Skilled workers led by Bezaleel and Aholiab built the curtains, boards and veil (36:8-38).

Chapters 37-38 — The Furniture and the Court

Bezaleel made the ark, mercy seat, table, candlestick, altar of incense, anointing oil and incense (37), then the altar of burnt offering, the laver and the court (38). The laver was made from the brass mirrors (looking glasses) of the women who served at the door (38:8): personal vanity surrendered for cleansing in God's service. An inventory of gold, silver and brass is given (38:21-31), with the silver totalling over 100 talents from the redemption money of 603,550 men.

Chapter 39 — The Priestly Garments and Inspection

The garments were made "as the LORD commanded Moses," a phrase repeated seven times in this chapter and seven more in chapter 40. Everything was brought to Moses, who inspected it all, "and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded... and Moses blessed them" (39:43). God's work done God's way receives God's blessing.

Chapter 40 — The Tabernacle Erected and Filled with Glory

On the first day of the first month of the second year, Moses set up the tabernacle and its furniture, anointed it, and consecrated Aaron and his sons (40:1-33). "So Moses finished the work" (40:33). Then:

Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:34-35

Exodus begins in darkness, slavery and death, and ends with the glory of God dwelling among His redeemed people. The cloud led them through all their journeys (40:36-38). This anticipates the incarnation, "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [tabernacled] among us, (and we beheld his glory" (John 1:14); the church as God's temple (1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:21-22); and the final fulfillment, "the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them" (Revelation 21:3).

Part Three: Christ in Exodus

Moses as a Type of Christ

Moses himself said, "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee... like unto me" (Deuteronomy 18:15), and Peter applied it to Jesus (Acts 3:22-23).

The Passover Lamb and Christ

Jesus was crucified at Passover. At the Last Supper, a Passover meal, He took the bread and cup and gave them new meaning (Luke 22:15-20). "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The Tabernacle: A Picture of Christ and the Way to God

The tabernacle is described in more detail than any other object in Scripture: about fifty chapters across Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Hebrews. Its arrangement traces the path of a sinner into God's presence.

Other Pictures of Christ in Exodus

• The burning bush (3). God dwelling in a lowly bush without consuming it: the incarnation, God dwelling in human flesh.
• "I AM" (3:14). The divine name Jesus claimed (John 8:58).
• The tree at Marah (15:25). The cross that turns bitter to sweet.
• The manna (16). The bread from heaven (John 6:32-35).
• The smitten rock (17:6). "That Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4).
• The Hebrew servant with the bored ear (21:5-6). The willing Servant (Psalm 40:6-8; Hebrews 10:5-7).
• The Angel with God's name in him (23:20-23). The pre-incarnate Son.
• The blood of the covenant (24:8). "My blood of the new testament" (Matthew 26:28).
• The cleft of the rock (33:22). The believer hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:3).

Part Four: Fulfilled Prophecies and Promises

Part Five: The Ten Commandments

Jesus' summary. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart... This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40). "Love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:10).

The Sabbath. Nine of the ten commandments are restated in the New Testament as moral duties for believers. The fourth is the one not repeated as a command; the early church met on "the first day of the week" (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2), the day of the resurrection, called "the Lord's day" (Revelation 1:10). Paul teaches that no one should judge believers "in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ" (Colossians 2:16-17). The Sabbath points to the rest found in Christ (Hebrews 4:9-11; Matthew 11:28). Christians differ on how the principle of a weekly day of rest and worship applies today.

Jesus deepened the commandments. He showed that anger is heart-murder and lust is heart-adultery (Matthew 5:21-28). No one keeps the law perfectly: "whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10). The law shows us our need of a Saviour (Galatians 3:24), and only Christ fulfilled it perfectly (Matthew 5:17). The believer is not under the law as a covenant of works but under grace (Romans 6:14), and by the Spirit "the righteousness of the law" is fulfilled in those who walk after the Spirit (Romans 8:4).

Part Six: Key Passages in Depth

Exodus 3:14 — I AM THAT I AM

God's name reveals His self-existence (He depends on nothing), eternity (He always is, with no past or future tense to His being), unchangeableness ("I am the LORD, I change not," Malachi 3:6), and faithfulness (He will be all He has promised). Jesus' use of "I am" in John is the clearest claim to deity in the Gospels:

Exodus 12 — Redemption by Blood

Three truths stand out. Substitution: a lamb died in the place of the firstborn. Application: the blood had to be personally applied to each house; a slain lamb unapplied saved no one. Assurance: "When I see the blood" rests on God's sight of the blood, not the person's feelings. These are the foundations of the gospel (Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:7).

Exodus 14 — Stand Still and See

The people were trapped between the sea and the army, as the sinner is trapped between sin's penalty and God's law. Salvation came entirely from God: "The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (14:14). But they still had to walk through by faith (Hebrews 11:29) when God said "go forward" (14:15). The same waters that saved Israel judged Egypt, as the cross is "the savour of life unto life" to some and "of death unto death" to others (2 Corinthians 2:16).

Exodus 34:6-7 — The Name of the LORD

God's own definition of His character. He is merciful (compassionate), gracious (giving undeserved favour), longsuffering (slow to anger), abundant in goodness (covenant love) and truth (faithfulness), forgiving every kind of sin (iniquity, transgression and sin), yet "by no means" clearing the guilty. How can God both forgive and not clear the guilty? Only by punishing sin in a substitute: Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:25-26).

Part Seven: The Major Teachings of Exodus

1. Redemption

To redeem is to buy back or set free by paying a price. God redeemed Israel by blood (the Passover) and by power (the Red Sea). The New Testament uses the Exodus as the great picture of salvation: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Ephesians 1:7); He "hath delivered us from the power of darkness" (Colossians 1:13). At the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus about "his decease [Greek: exodus] which he should accomplish at Jerusalem" (Luke 9:31).

2. The Names and Character of God

Exodus reveals God as I AM (3:14), Jehovah the covenant-keeping LORD (6:2-3), Jehovah-rapha "the LORD that healeth thee" (15:26), Jehovah-nissi "the LORD my banner" (17:15), Jehovah-mekaddishkem "the LORD that doth sanctify you" (31:13), the Jealous God (34:14), and above all "merciful and gracious" yet just (34:6-7).

3. God's Sovereignty over Nations and Rulers

God raised up Pharaoh to display His power (9:16), judged Egypt's gods (12:12), and controlled nature, history and the hearts of kings. "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD" (Proverbs 21:1).

4. The Law

The law reveals God's holiness, defines sin, and drives sinners to Christ (Romans 3:20; Galatians 3:24). It was given to a redeemed people, not as a ladder to earn redemption. Its moral principles endure, and Christ fulfils it (Matthew 5:17).

5. Worship and God's Presence

The tabernacle shows that God desires to dwell with His people (25:8), but sinners can only approach Him through sacrifice, priesthood and cleansing, and only in His appointed way. The golden calf shows the danger of worshipping God in man's way. Christ fulfils it all, and believers now "have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus" (Hebrews 10:19).

6. Mediation and Intercession

Moses stood between God and the people on the mountain (20:19), at the golden calf (32:11-14, 30-32), and in pleading for God's presence (33:12-17). The high priest bore the tribes' names before God (28:29). All point to Christ, "the mediator of the new covenant" (Hebrews 12:24).

7. Faith and Unbelief

Israel's journey alternates between faith and grumbling: faith at the Red Sea (14:31), then murmuring at Marah (15:24), over food (16:2), and over water (17:2-3). 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 warns: "these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition... Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

8. Spiritual Warfare

Pharaoh pictures Satan, who holds sinners in bondage, offers compromises (stay in the land, don't go far, leave the children, leave the flocks), and pursues the redeemed. Amalek pictures the flesh, attacking the weak and defeated only by prayer and the Word (17:8-16; Galatians 5:17).

9. Giving and Service

The tabernacle was built from willing offerings and Spirit-gifted labour (35-36). God's work requires both willing hearts and skilled hands, done exactly according to His pattern (39:42-43).

10. God's Glory

The book climaxes with the glory filling the tabernacle (40:34). God's purpose in redemption is His own glory (9:16; 14:4) and fellowship with His people. "That they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory" (Jeremiah 13:11).

Part Eight: Connections — How Exodus Links to the Rest of the Bible

Exodus Quoted and Cited in the New Testament

Exodus in the Old Testament

Themes That Start or Grow in Exodus and Run Through Scripture

Part Nine: Practical Lessons

• God hears His people's cry. He heard, remembered, looked and knew (2:23-25), even when centuries seemed silent.
• God uses unlikely people. A stammering, 80-year-old fugitive shepherd became Israel's deliverer (3-4). "Who hath made man's mouth?" (4:11).
• Don't accept the world's compromises. Pharaoh offered four half-way deals; Moses refused them all (8:25-10:26).
• Safety is under the blood, not in our feelings. "When I see the blood" (12:13).
• Stand still, then go forward. God fights for us, but we must walk forward in faith (14:13-15).
• Praise God for deliverance. Israel sang after the sea (15).
• Grumbling is unbelief. Every complaint in the wilderness was a test they failed (16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:10).
• Live on daily bread. Manna had to be gathered each day; yesterday's spiritual food will not sustain today (16:19-21).
• Support your leaders in prayer. Aaron and Hur held up Moses' hands (17:12).
• Delegate. Even Moses could not do it alone (18:17-18).
• Worship God His way. The golden calf was offered "to the LORD" but was idolatry (32:5).
• Seek His presence above all. "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence" (33:15).
• Give willingly. The people had to be told to stop giving (36:5-7).

Part Ten: Key Verses to Memorize

Conclusion

Exodus is the gospel in history. A people enslaved and helpless were redeemed by the blood of a lamb and the power of God, brought through the waters, fed with bread from heaven, given water from the smitten rock, taught God's holy law, and made a dwelling place for His glory. Every part of it points to Christ: the Passover Lamb who died in our place, the Rock smitten for us, the Bread of life, the Mediator greater than Moses, the High Priest who brings us through the torn veil, and the Word who tabernacled among us full of glory. What God did for Israel in Egypt, He does for every sinner who trusts in Christ.

And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you

Exodus 12:13